Miso & Honey Marinated Chicken Wings
Asian Inspired Deliciousness
These oven baked miso honey marinated chicken wings are the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and tangy. They are made with miso paste, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and sesame oil for deep umami flavor. Marinated overnight and baked until crispy. Then finished with a sticky honey vinegar glaze. This easy chicken wing recipe is ideal for game day, parties, or a crowd pleasing dinner at home.
One of my favorite wing memories ever is the crispy wings from Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I have been chasing that flavor profile ever since. These miso & honey marinated chicken wings hit that same sweet, savory, tangy, slightly exotic note for me . These wings will absolutely will do the job when a Disney trip is not on the calendar. They gave me a little taste of that Nomad Lounge magic right at home.
What Is Miso?
Miso is a traditional Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans and salt. Sometimes it can be rice or barley. Miso brings a deep savory umami flavor that adds richness without needing a lot of extra seasoning. If you cannot find miso, peanut butter is a great substitute in this recipe. It provides a similar creamy texture and nutty depth The flavor will be slightly sweeter and less fermented, giving the wings a different but still delicious twist.
About The Chinese Five Spice….
Chinese five spice is a bold, aromatic spice blend traditionally made with star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, and Sichuan peppercorn, and it brings a warm, slightly sweet, savory, and almost licorice like depth to dishes. If you do not have it on hand, you can mix your own using small amounts of those spices, but use caution because it is very strong and a little goes a long way, especially in marinades where the flavor intensifies as it sits.
Where Are The Wings?!
It can be surprisingly hard to find chicken wings already separated into just flats and drumettes at the grocery store, but it is very easy to do at home. Start with whole chicken wings, trim off and discard the wing tip, then cut through the joint to separate the flat from the drumette so you can cook them evenly and get those classic crispy flats everyone loves.
Pay Attention To Your Oven
Oven temperatures and airflow can vary a lot from kitchen to kitchen, and where your oven rack is placed makes a big difference in how these wings cook. The first time you make this recipe, keep a close eye on the wings, especially once the glaze is added since the sugars can burn quickly, and consider using the middle rack or skipping the glaze altogether and serving it on the side as a dipping sauce if you prefer more control.
Miso & Honey Marinated Chicken Wings
These miso honey marinated chicken wings are savory, slightly sweet, and packed with umami thanks to miso paste, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and a touch of Chinese five spice. After a long marinade, they bake up golden and crispy, then get finished with an optional tangy honey vinegar glaze that caramelizes into sticky, crave worthy wings perfect for game day or an easy oven baked dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 to 2½ pounds chicken wings, patted very dry
- ¼ cup miso paste *peanut butter can be subbed if you cannot find miso
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for finishing
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed (pickled garlic or regular)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- Beef tallow spray, olive oil spray, or vegetable oil for baking
- For the glaze
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon miso paste (use peanut butter if you cannot find miso)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the miso paste (or peanut butter), rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, Chinese five spice, black pepper, onion powder, garlic, and sesame oil until smooth. If you cannot find miso paste, you can substitute peanut butter in equal amounts.
- Place the chicken wings in a large zip top bag, pour the marinade over them, seal, and massage everything around so the wings are well coated. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, remove the wings from the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter for about 1 hour to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Arrange the wings evenly on the rack. Sprinkle lightly with additional black pepper and spray generously with beef tallow, olive oil, or brush lightly with vegetable oil.
- Bake on the top rack of the oven for 35 minutes until the wings are golden and beginning to crisp.
- While the wings bake, add the rice vinegar, miso paste or peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, and honey to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for several minutes until slightly reduced. The glaze will still be a little liquidy.
- Remove the wings from the oven and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with the glaze until evenly coated. Remove the wire rack from the baking sheet, place the wings directly on the foil lined pan, and spread them out.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400° and bake the wings for 15 minutes. Flip the wings, then return them to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until they reach your preferred level of crispiness. Everyone’s oven is different, so use your own judgment here.
- If you prefer to serve the vinegar based sauce on the side instead of glazing, skip tossing the wings and return them to the oven after the first bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until extra crispy. Then serve the vinaigrette on the side for dipping.
- Keep in mind that all ovens cook differently, so watch closely the first time you make these. The glaze will get dark on the edges of the pan as it spreads out in the final bake, just be sure the wings are not burning.